RISING TIDE

Maskless Alabama Crimson Tide Fans Celebrate National Championship Win by Packing Streets

The city’s mayor and university’s administration pleaded fans to celebrate in a socially distanced manner, out of COVID-19 concerns, after Ohio State blowout.

Throngs of University of Alabama football fans celebrated their team’s national championship win Monday night by packing the streets of Tuscaloosa. Ignoring pleas from the city’s mayor and university’s administration to celebrate in a socially distanced manner out of COVID-19 concerns, hundreds of people came out to celebrate. According to AL.com, Tuscaloosa Police Department officers were on the scene, but did not enforce mask-wearing. According to the state’s public-health department, Tuscaloosa County had a 20 percent COVID-19 test positivity rate for the most recent week available, Dec. 27 to Jan. 2. The Crimson Tide beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 52-24, the team’s 18th national championship.